I have answered most of your questions in the response i left below. Like i said i have been doing landscaping since i was 13. I have been caretaker for a cemetery for the past 5 years now, i am in charge of 10 acres. I have to cut,trim, and maintain. Yes i am working now but not with a landscaping company. No i have no developed a business and marketing plan as of right now, How would you reccomend i do that? No i do not know what you mean by SCORE. Sorry

1) Do you plan to focus on residential or commercial?2) How much money do you have to start?3) How much income do you want/need to generate your first year?4) What type of services do you plan to provide?

Landscape businesses are for sale at reasonable prices all the time. Right now many are suffering due to the economy - many commercial clients either folded or reduced landscaping and more homeowners are pushing the mower themselves.

I have been doing landscaping since i was 13 years old. i have been working with different landscapers over the years now, the most recent was with a friend of mine who bought an established landscaping business from and older man. For years i have wanted my own business and i feel with my knowledge starting a landscaping business would be the best bet for me. My dad wants to retire from his current job and help me out. I am looking to spend no more then 50 thousand, but if its a better deal then maybe willing to spend a little more. I would like to offer all aspects to my customers, anyone can just cut grass. The more i offer the more potential money there is to be mad and the more my name and business can grow. Services would be, weekly cuttings,spring/fall/storm cleanups,mulching,aerating and seeding, detaching,planting of annual flowers,fertilizing,snow removal,hedge and bush trimming, light tree trimming to start, power washing, driveway seal coating. Eventually id like to get into hardscaping as well. I know there are things i have left out but thats a general idea. I'm not expecting to make big money my first few years. My goal is to just get my name out there do quality work and grow. Please if anyone has any other info for me please feel free to write me.

Yes, "anyone can cut grass" but, it is your bread-and-butter money for residential; it generates your primary recurring revenue stream and then you "upsell" these customers for your other servives on an as-needed basis.

Typically, you can by a business with a 20% down payment and SBA backed financing. That means with $50 down you could purchase a business with a price up to $250. For lanscaping, that might buy you a business doing $500 K a year or more in revenues. After payng for financing costs, you would probably be genertaing a nice income while being able to put some aside to reinvest and grow you business.

Depends on your market area - is it saturated or has their been a lot of new construction and you could be "first in market".

It is very hard to get customers to change if they are happy with services.

Generally, my preference is to buy rather than build - remember, I am a business broker but I truly think in most cases buying offers several advantages:

1) It is easier to finance a purchase of an established business versus a start-up2) You have customers in place3) You can generate higher cash flow from day-one4) You know the business works in that particular market since you have a history to look at

Landscaping businesses can usually be purchased for a reasonable price. I suggest finding a "good" but not "too-good" business. One that you can add value to.

I live right outside of Philadelphia, King of Prussia area. I don't know if you are failure with this area. All along i was leaning towards buying an established business, for the same reasons you wrote in your last post.

Matt,When you buy a business, make sure to due your due diligence before making a purchase. You will most likely by making an asset purchase as opposed to a stock purchase. I would look into setting up an LLC. This would be especially good if you dad was putting inthe investment and you were working. It would allow your dad to receive a return on his investment without having possible self employment taxes.

Also keep in mind issues of sales tax on landscaping and know the rules in your state.

The benefits of an LLC is that it has limited liability so your personal assets are not at risk for business activities. It works well with investors ( dad) because it allows them to have a return on investment.

Keep in mind that sales tax and payroll taxes can still attach to your personal assets even though you have limited liability so make sure to keep up with that aspect of the taxes. But this is a fact for all limited liability entities.

One of the advantages of an LLC over a S-corp is that you and your dad could take different distributions of cash and it would not cause a problem.

You sound like one of my typical clients that is awsome at what they do (landscaping) but is not familiar with the accounting and taxes.

I would:1. Get Quickbooks Pro to start keeping trake of your income and expenses.2. Find a good CPA3.Get an LLC started as of 1/1/09. ( Can use legal zoom or I have a link on my website at www.wendyezellcpa.com) CPA can help as well if you have questins.4. Find a bank that you wish to do business with and start an account (makes your bookkeeping easier and your CPA happy)

This will at least get you up and running in the right direction.

Do be afraid to ask questions. I good CPA should be willing to help you!

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